


kindling

by amonglilies



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, Married Life, Post-Time Skip, Somnophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:00:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25910218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amonglilies/pseuds/amonglilies
Summary: Felix was hardly a romantic person, but even he had his idea of what marriage would be like — he would never admit it out loud, but he enjoyed Sylvain’s romantic gestures, the letters he still sent, the gifts he brought him, the touches and kisses he stole when no one was looking. The brief periods of separation were more unbearable than the years he had spent pining now that they were married. He had been looking forward to having Sylvain with him again after spending so many nights alone, even if it was just having him sleeping beside him. It was rare for Felix to be the one so desperate for attention, for Sylvain to be the one too busy to indulge him.-Felix and Sylvain have a nice day to themselves.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 26
Kudos: 258





	kindling

**Author's Note:**

> me whenever i write sylvix: don’t fuck don’t fuck don’t fuck  
> them: //already fucking  
> me: no!!!!!!
> 
> A sequel to another fic I wrote (rumor has it) but it's not necessary to read that to follow the plot (or lack thereof). They are just very soft and very in love and they kiss lots. It's also way too long.
> 
> Unbeta'd.

At dawn, Felix left Fraldarius for Fhirdiad in relatively high spirits, despite the meetings he had ahead. Some days, there seemed to be no end to them, but today, he only had two — one with the war council, then another with Dimitri, who had just returned from a three-month long diplomatic excursion through Fódlan and to its surrounding countries. Felix wasn’t looking forward to the meetings, but he _was_ looking forward to what would come afterward.

“You want to reduce our numbers?”

“I’m proposing we shift a portion of our army to reserves,” Felix corrected, returning his full attention to the war council sitting before him. As general and head of the council, Felix had spent the past year refining his plan for their military going forward, participating in discussions with other ministers and advisors, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each step he wanted to take. “It’s a drain on our resources to have soldiers idling in peacetime when they would be better off serving Fódlan returning home to help their families and contributing to their local economy. Those who wish to remain in service can help with restoration efforts.”

“You act as though we would have time to call up soldiers in the event of an invasion,” the advisor protested. A few others in the room nodded, murmuring in agreement. “We should be increasing the number of soldiers stationed at our borders, widen patrols -”

“We can prepare for war without instigating it,” Felix cut in sharply. Despite interrupting him in the first place, the advisor was clearly displeased with his tone, but Felix wasn’t about to be delicate with people who were supposed to be trusted to make rational decisions about wartime matters. “Don’t go looking for problems in places where there are none.”

Felix paused for a moment, waiting for another retort; when he was met with silence, he prepared to move on to the next point, only to be interrupted again. “I had heard you were a fearsome warrior, but it seems the rumors have overstated your reputation,” the advisor sneered. “Or perhaps that husband of yours has made you soft.”

If Felix had not had two years of experience in suffering the inane ramblings of his peers, he would have drawn his sword right then and there. Instead, he only cast the advisor a glance before he reached for his quill. The room slowly turned icy cold as he silently made a few notes, mostly just to waste some time, ignoring the nervous stir of the room. Once he decided enough time had passed, he gestured for a pale-faced scribe, who shuffled forward to take his papers and quickly left. Finally, he stood, the others jumping to their feet, the advisor nearly stumbling in his haste, looking as though he had lost all of his nerve.

“Shall we go then?”

The advisor’s gaze darted about. “Go where?”

“The training grounds will suffice,” Felix said matter-of-factly. “You seem keen on questioning my ability to lead this council. I don’t recall seeing you in the war, so I have no inkling of your skill in combat, but if you can land a single blow on me, I will step down and leave the council in your capable hands for the good of Fódlan.” Then he added, “It would leave me free to spend time with my husband, who has apparently rendered me useless.”

Dead silence. “I-I only meant to suggest —”

“That a general should be bloodthirsty? That protecting a hard-fought peace is not a worthy pursuit?” Felix stared him down. “Or are you concerned that my refusal to run headlong into another war means I’ve lost the resolve to take a life? Because I would be more than willing to show you that isn’t the case.”

-

The war council scurried off like rats once Felix adjourned the meeting. Felix took a few minutes to compose himself, having managed to barely reign in his annoyance for the remainder of the tense meeting. With the Sreng treaty in place, the alliance between the leaders of Fódlan and Almyra holding strong, the Fhirdiad war council was turning unruly, like a pack of starving wolves. Truthfully, Felix understood their restlessness; without conflict, they were useless. If things were different, Felix imagined he would have been like them — looking for fights anywhere he could, just to find purpose.

Taking another deep breath, Felix left the room. All that was left was to meet with Dimitri and then he would finally be able to leave for Gautier.

“I worry about the strength of our military if our officers are running around with their tails between their legs.”

Felix came to a stop, blinking, turning around to see that someone was waiting for him, leaning against the wall a little ways from the door. Sylvain smiled back at him; Felix felt his mood already improving drastically. Sylvain had been a part of the retinue that had accompanied Dimitri on his trip, lending his diplomatic skills to Dimitri’s cause.

“I’m merely keeping them in line,” Felix said, stepping toward him. It felt like it had been ages since he’d seen Sylvain; the urge to hug him was embarrassingly strong, but he managed to resist.

"A difficult task, I'm sure," Sylvain said sympathetically. "What are their grievances this time?”

“The usual.” Felix exhaled softly, squaring his shoulders. “And they seem to think you’ve turned me into a lovesick fool.”

“You mean I haven’t?” Sylvain chuckled at the flat look Felix shot him, his expression softening as he lifted his hand to Felix’s cheek. “Have you been well? You look tired.”

“I could say the same about you,” Felix said as he leaned into Sylvain’s hand, suppressing a shiver at the warm touch, having gone so long without it. In the early morning, the palace was usually quiet, empty as people flitted from meeting to meeting, rarely lingering once their business was done, allowing them a few moments to stay like this; time passed too quickly for Felix’s liking, Sylvain’s hand dropping away at the sound of footsteps down the hall.

“Well,” Sylvain stepped away, turning, “you don’t want to keep His Highness waiting.”

Felix scowled as he followed Sylvain in the direction of the king’s cabinet. “I don’t see why I still need to meet with him if you’re here,” he muttered. “Couldn’t he just pass along any message he had for me through you?”

“Don’t you have things to discuss with him?” Felix huffed, which only served to amuse Sylvain. “Even you have to show your face to our king every now and then.”

As they approached the next corridor, instead of continuing toward the throne room, Felix touched Sylvain’s elbow and turned, an idea striking him. Sylvain gave him a questioning look, but followed. After a lengthy walk, he found the room he was looking for, glancing down the halls to see if anyone had seen them before he opened the door and pushed Sylvain in.

“Oh, you’re very bad,” Sylvain said as Felix locked the door behind him. “You know Dimitri’s expecting you.”

They were in one of the many sitting rooms in the palace, rarely used as it was fairly out of the way; it was dark and musty, the furniture draped in cloth. The most important thing, however, was the chaise lounge, which would suit his needs well enough. “He can wait,” Felix said, catching Sylvain’s gaze and canting his head. His back to the wall, he drew Sylvain in, his fingers brushing against his cheek; their lips met, softly at first, then again, again. “Your last letter said you would be waiting for me in Gautier.”

“A last minute change of plan. I was eager to see you,” Sylvain murmured against his lips as Felix flicked open the buttons of Sylvain’s collar. “It seems you were eager to see me too.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Felix ran his hands along Sylvain’s broad shoulders, down his chest, looking up at him demurely. “You’re my husband.”

Sylvain quirked a grin, brushing his fingers against his cheek. “Are you sure I haven’t turned you into a lovesick fool?”

Felix hummed. What bothered him about people saying that Sylvain had turned him soft-hearted wasn’t that it was true, but that they said it like it was something to be ashamed of. “I never said you didn’t.”

Sylvain smiled. “You really know how to get me going,” he accused, bracing his arm against the wall before he leaned in to kiss him again.

Felix sighed as Sylvain pressed against him, their kisses turning hungry, urgent. He prided himself in his discipline and self-control, but when it came to this, he had little of either, especially after such a long separation. It didn’t take long for him to have Sylvain’s tongue in his mouth, his hands firmly on Sylvain’s ass — only for their concentration to be broken by a knock on the door. Much to his chagrin, it drew Sylvain’s attention away.

“They’ll leave if we’re quiet,” Felix whispered, mouthing at Sylvain’s jaw, trying to coax his mouth back to his.

Sylvain relented for a kiss, but pulled away again when there was another knock, firmer this time, like they were trying to make a point. “I don’t think they will, if it is who I think it is,” he mumbled.

They both attempted to ignore it again. Then the knocking became insistent. “Felix! Sylvain! I know you’re in there!”

Felix let out a soft groan of dismay, his head knocking back against the wall as Sylvain muffled a laugh in his neck. Even after all these years, Ingrid still had her uncanny knack in finding them when they were up to no good. Sulking, Felix smoothed out the wrinkles of Sylvain’s coat as Sylvain buttoned himself back up. Sylvain smiled at him, kissing him one more time. “We’ll have our chance soon,” he promised.

The moment was ruined by another flurry of impatient knocks.

-

“Did you think I was going to wait for you all morning?” Dimitri grumbled when Ingrid personally escorted them to the cabinet, shooting Sylvain a pointed look like he knew this was going to happen.

“I wasn’t thinking that far ahead,” Felix said bluntly and Sylvain just laughed.

-

Felix knew being married wouldn’t change much about their lives. After the wedding, they had immediately returned to their duties — with Sylvain officially taking the title of margrave and aiding Dimitri with his diplomatic matters, Felix busy dealing with the war council on top of his regular work. Even when they managed to make it home together, it didn’t mean their work was done; they still had meetings with the local lords and townspeople, more plans to make regarding the ongoing restoration, leaving them unable to enjoy their time together before something inevitably called their attention away.

Moonlight slipped past the curtains, illuminating the darkened halls of the Gautier manor. Felix walked beneath the slats of pale light, stopping in front of Sylvain’s study, knocking once before entering.

Sylvain was still where Felix had seen him hours ago, seated at his desk, surrounded by rolls of parchment, the oil lamp burning low. Felix approached; when Sylvain didn’t move, Felix furrowed his brow, drawing close to see that Sylvain had managed to fall asleep with his head propped up precariously on his hand. Sighing, he reached out to touch Sylvain’s back; Sylvain jerked awake with an unintelligible mumble, his glasses going askew. Bleary-eyed and disoriented, Sylvain looked around, looked up at Felix, who tutted. “You’ll strain your neck like that,” Felix warned.

Regaining his bearings, Sylvain let out a harsh body-shaking yawn, stretching out his arms before rubbing his eyes. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” he mumbled, readjusting his glasses. “I thought you had gone to bed.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Felix replied, rubbing his thumb and index finger along the back of Sylvain’s neck. He peered over his shoulder to see what he was working on as Sylvain rolled his neck and sighed with relief — from what Felix could parse, Sylvain was redrawing the border between Fódlan and Sreng. “No one’s going to like this.”

Sylvain sighed again, tiredly this time. “I know.” He looked up at Felix. “What do you think of it?”

Felix skimmed Sylvain’s accompanying proposal, outlining his argument for returning land to Sreng. It wasn’t a simple matter. It was one thing to try to appeal to conscience, but something like this meant compensating and moving those who were living there already, assuming they were willing to leave at all, and that was only after negotiating with the local lords of the territory, who generally weren’t open to the idea of giving up land. Even if his and Sylvain’s combined wealth was enough to purchase the land, it was doubtful the lords would accept a fair deal for their inconvenience. “It won’t be easy to pull off.”

Sylvain was quiet for a moment. “I mean, what do _you_ think of it?” Felix glanced at him, the uncertain look on his face. “It’s a part of your father’s legacy, claiming this land for Faerghus.”

Felix ran his fingers through Sylvain’s hair. “There are better legacies of my old man worth preserving. The land should be returned to Sreng.” He drew away, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at the other maps Sylvain had spread around. “The problem at hand is how you’ll go about doing it.”

Sylvain rubbed his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose. “So you don’t think asking nicely will work?” He joked tiredly.

“When has that ever gotten anything done?” Felix muttered dryly. Minutes passed as they contemplated the maps together, shuffling them about. Felix leaned forward, squinting; Sylvain took off his glasses, offering it to him, only for Felix to bat it away with an annoyed glare. “Move your lines here.”

“Take the glasses, Felix,” Sylvain sighed when he saw Felix pointing even further south of his drawn lines.

“Look.” Felix tapped on the map. “Draw it down to follow this river.” Sylvain put his glasses back on, following Felix’s finger. “There’s a reason my father was only able to take the land south of the mountain range. Natural barriers are harder on an invading force to overcome.”

Sylvain rubbed his chin, picking up his quill. The new line intersected with the old one at a few points. “It’s more inland but roughly the same amount of land.”

“You’ll still have to convince them to give it up, but I'll leave that to you,” Felix said. “Setting the border here will make it easier for me to make the argument for you if anyone raises concerns about defense.”

“I didn’t even think about that,” Sylvain admitted in a murmur. He looked up at him, squeezing his hand. "Thank you."

Felix hummed, pleased to have been able to help. Sylvain scribbled down a few more notes before he replaced his quill in the inkwell, rubbing his eyes again with another sigh. “You can ask me for help, you know.”

Sylvain dropped his hands, leaning back in his chair heavily. “You’ve got enough of your own work to deal with. It wouldn’t feel right to shirk my duties off to you.”

Sylvain’s dedication to his work was something Felix had come to find rather appealing, though no matter how attractive Sylvain looked when he was engaged, Felix would much rather have that focus directed toward him. He asked, a little hopeful, “Are you done with everything now?”

“I have a few more things to finish up.” Sylvain ran his hand down Felix’s arm, apologetic. “You should get some rest. It’s been a long day.”

Felix frowned. Sylvain was clearly exhausted. “It’s been long for you too.”

Sylvain smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be done before you know it.”

Allowing Sylvain to bring him in for a lingering kiss, Felix pulled away first. “Good night then,” he said tersely, a little unhappy.

“Sleep well,” Sylvain said faintly as Felix left, closing the door softly behind him as he returned to bed alone.

Felix was hardly a romantic person, but even he had his idea of what marriage would be like — he would never admit it out loud, but he enjoyed Sylvain’s romantic gestures, the letters he still sent, the gifts he brought him, the touches and kisses he stole when no one was looking. The brief periods of separation were more unbearable than the years he had spent pining now that they were married. He had been looking forward to having Sylvain with him again after spending so many nights alone, even if it was just having him sleeping beside him. It was rare for Felix to be the one so desperate for attention, for Sylvain to be the one too busy to indulge him.

The bedroom door opened again a few hours later, light spilling in from the hallway. Still awake, Felix pretended to be asleep, having pettily laid in the middle of their bed, forcing Sylvain to either sleep in the space he allowed him or risk drawing his ire by moving him. Sylvain decided to split the difference, climbing in and gently nudging him just enough to make room for himself, wrapping his arms around his waist as Felix grunted crankily.

Sylvain’s lips brushed against his neck. “Don’t be mad, my love,” Sylvain whispered.

Felix stopped struggling, huffing. With Sylvain pressed against his back, he couldn’t hold on to his anger for long, conceding defeat as he let Sylvain hold him close, finally drifting off to sleep.

-

As usual, Felix woke at dawn, though warmer and more rested than he had felt in recent months. He was pleased to see Sylvain still beside him, sleeping deeply as he snored into his hair. Dozing off for a few more minutes until he was finally awake, Felix pulled away as much as Sylvain’s hands would allow him, resting his head back on his own pillow. Sylvain stirred at his absence, snorting abruptly before the soft snores started up again. Felix quirked a grin, feeling a warm curl of fondness as he traced the line of Sylvain’s jaw, brushing against the light stubble that had already begun to grow in. He carded his fingers through Sylvain’s soft hair, curly from sleep — a rare sight to behold before Sylvain woke up and tamed it into its usual neater state. As he gazed at Sylvain’s face, he noticed a slight wrinkle in his brow, frowning.

It was rare of Felix to lack confidence in himself. He didn’t doubt his skill with a sword, nor his leadership as duke and general, but he felt useless as a husband. He was a firm believer in constant improvement, in training, but when it came to marriage, there was no regimen he could follow. That wasn’t to say their marriage was in any danger, that Felix was worried they had come to love each other less when they were so busy. Sylvain could make him forget his troubles with a smile, made the effort to make him happy even when he couldn’t be with him, and his devotion made Felix painfully aware of how little he did for him in turn.

Felix ran his hand down Sylvain’s chest, feeling it rise and fall with each deep breath. An idea forming in his head, he gently nudged Sylvain onto his back. Maybe he could let Sylvain sleep and help him relax at the same time.

Slipping his hand down Sylvain’s pants was a bit lecherous, but Sylvain was already half-hard, something Felix was well-aware of from the many minutes they stole from their mornings to touch each other before they had to get up for the day. Peeking up at Sylvain’s face, Felix pulled him out of his pants and stroked him slowly. Sylvain’s expression seemed to relax, though he remained asleep, breathing steadily. Bringing him off with his hand probably would have sufficed, but Felix couldn’t bring himself to be that selfless after going so long without sex, pulling away to slip off his own pants. He moved slowly, the blanket pooling around his hips as he straddled Sylvain’s thighs, reaching for the oil Sylvain kept in his drawer.

Already losing patience with two fingers inside himself, Felix lined himself up on Sylvain’s cock, rubbing the head against his twitching hole. He sunk down slowly, watching Sylvain as he did, holding back a groan as Sylvain’s cock stretched him open. He swallowed a gasp when Sylvain suddenly shifted, hips twitching, a sigh falling from his lips. Brushing his fingertips down Sylvain’s belly, Felix lifted up on his knees and sat back down, taking in more of him until he was firmly seated — he bit his lip, his body warm with the pleasure of being filled.

Sylvain always liked to tease him, liked to whisper filthy things in his ear instead of doing them, just to rile him up. He thought of Sylvain’s voice, could imagine it now, low and husky, teasing him about his lonely hole, how badly Felix needed a good fucking. Felix groaned, low and quiet, as he began to move, fucking himself on Sylvain’s cock at an agonizingly slow pace, the way Sylvain would, no matter how much he begged.

Soon, the sound of their pants filled the room. “Felix,” Sylvain mumbled, his lips curling up in a small smile, his brow drawing together as his breathing picked up. Felix hummed, gasping when Sylvain’s hips jerked again, unable to stifle the moan that tumbled from his lips as Sylvain thrust deep inside him. Hearing him, Sylvain stirred, his eyes fluttering open; he blinked rapidly, meeting Felix’s unfocused gaze before looking down to where they were joined, his hands moving up Felix’s thighs to rest on his hips.

“Well,” Sylvain uttered, his voice sleep-hoarse. “This is quite the sight to wake up to.”

“Be quiet and enjoy it,” Felix gritted out, another moan dragged out of him as Sylvain began to roll his hips up against him. Sylvain sighed with him, his hands reaching back to squeeze his ass, running up under his shirt to touch his back; it was nice to ride him, but it was even better to have Sylvain touching him. Felix bit back a whine as Sylvain brushed the back of his finger against his leaking cock.

“Looks like you’re enjoying it too.” The smugness in Sylvain’s voice was unreasonably attractive. “Did you miss me that much?”

Perhaps it was simply too early in the day or it had been too long since he’d seen Sylvain, but Felix didn’t instinctively deny it. “You know I did,” he panted, moving faster as he tightened. “Hurry up and come inside —”

The bed creaked as Felix yelped, Sylvain pulling him off and rolling over on top of him. With Sylvain’s weight bearing down on him, their fingers laced together over Felix’s head, Felix could only glare up at him, pinned under Sylvain’s molten gaze. “You’re really so cute,” Sylvain murmured, rubbing his cock against Felix’s.

Felix didn’t bother to retort this time either, too busy writhing beneath him. “Sylvain, at least touch me properly —”

“Too cute,” Sylvain crooned as he pressed his hips down, giving himself a better angle.

Felix groaned as Sylvain’s balls rolled over his cock. There was nothing he could but move with Sylvain in an attempt to make the graceless rutting fulfilling. Sylvain didn’t even kiss him, leaving Felix to struggle and keen desperately as Sylvain used his teeth to pull up his shirt, kissing his chest instead. “Sylvain,” Felix grunted through clenched teeth.

Sylvain hummed, the sound vibrating against his skin. “Yes?”

Felix reflexively kicked out a leg when Sylvain grazed his teeth against his nipple. “Fuck me already.”

Letting out a thoughtful noise, Sylvain finally released one hand to hold their cocks together, quickening his thrusts. Just this was enough to tip Felix over the edge as he came with a stilted moan. Felix panted, swallowing to wet his dry mouth as Sylvain gripped his hips and thrust against the sweaty juncture of his hip and thigh, pressing his face into Felix’s neck as he groaned, warm come spilling onto Felix’s stomach and mixing with his. Hardly giving Sylvain a moment of rest, Felix tugged his face up to claim a kiss. They exchanged sweet, sloppy kisses, touching aimlessly as they basked in the post-coital warmth.

“Good morning, Felix,” Sylvain said with a lazy smile when they finally broke apart to breathe, pulling off his shirt to clean up the mess between them.

“Good morning,” Felix returned, unable to resist running a hand down Sylvain’s bare chest.

Sylvain tossed the shirt aside to lie back down on top of him. Felix would have liked to continue, but instead he dodged Sylvain’s kiss, Sylvain’s lips smushing against his cheek. Sylvain pulled back, blinking in confusion. “Are you that upset that I didn’t come in you?”

Felix huffed, turning his face toward his pillow. He was still pent-up, raring to go again, but he knew that as much as he wanted to stay in bed with Sylvain all day, he couldn’t distract Sylvain from his work any longer. At least if Sylvain finished up early, they might have the night to themselves. “Don’t you have work to do?”

Sylvain was quiet for a moment. Felix sulked, only glancing at him as he snuggled even closer, his chin resting on Felix’s chest. “I’m all done with my work,” he told him. “I finished it all last night.”

Pulling his face out of his pillow, Felix looked at Sylvain, flushing when Sylvain smiled knowingly. “Oh.”

“Mm. We have the whole day to ourselves.” Sylvain’s hand trailed down Felix’s bare hip. “I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t planning on leaving the bed much today.”

Felix tried not to seem too eager. “We’ll have to eat.”

“I have you.” Sylvain grinned when Felix gave him a look. “I’ve already asked Gerard to let everyone know not to disturb us today. They’ll leave us our meals by the door for us to take whenever we get hungry.”

Felix didn’t want to imagine how that conversation with the head butler went. “Like we’re animals,” Felix mumbled.

Sylvain laughed. “Quite appropriate, don’t you think?” He murmured lowly, leaning in to kiss his neck. “Are you amenable to this plan, Your Grace?”

A whole day to themselves. Felix hummed, pleased, as he relaxed into the bed, perfectly content to let Sylvain bite and nibble on him, only to find his arms empty again when a knock on the door pulled Sylvain away.

“I would, however, like to get some food in you before anything else,” Sylvain said as he climbed off the bed.

“Tease,” Felix grumbled, only catching a glimpse of Sylvain’s ass before Sylvain tugged his pants up. Sylvain padded over to the door, leaning out and slipping back in with a large covered tray. Felix tugged his underwear back on in the meantime, smoothing down the blankets so Sylvain could set the tray down. Felix lifted the lid, his stomach immediately rumbling at the sight of roasted pheasant and eggs and perfectly toasted bread — accompanied with a selection of ripe summer fruits, presumably for Sylvain, who didn’t eat much for breakfast.

“Have they been starving you in Fraldarius?” Sylvain said as he bit into a plum, looking impressed as Felix piled a runny egg and a chunk of meat onto a piece of toast.

Shoveling the assembled bite into his mouth, Felix let out a satisfied sigh, famished from their morning romp. “I don’t eat much when I eat alone,” he explained after he swallowed, only realizing how pathetic it sounded when he said it aloud. Pathetic as it was, it was true — when he was in Fraldarius by himself, he didn’t see any point in making the kitchen cook a separate meal just for him, usually eating some of whatever they made for all of the servants.

Sylvain looked at him, reaching out to swipe his thumb against the corner of Felix’s mouth, wiping off a bit of sauce. “Then I’ll make sure to keep you well-fed,” he promised, smiling as he licked his thumb clean.

After Felix had cleaned his plate, Sylvain set the tray aside, picking up the last piece of fruit, a peach, and a small knife, cutting out a slice. He picked it up off the blade and held it out to him. “Humor me,” he said, amused when Felix eyed it. Felix met Sylvain’s intent gaze, opening his mouth to accept it, lips brushing against Sylvain’s fingertips as he closed his mouth around it. He chewed on the ripe flesh, juice filling his mouth. “Good?”

Licking his bottom lip, Felix watched Sylvain’s eyes follow the movement of his tongue. “It’s sweet.”

“Want more?”

Felix didn’t like sweet things, but he liked the way Sylvain was looking at him. “Yes.”

Sylvain fed him the rest of the peach, watching him chew and swallow before cutting another slice until he was left with the bare pit, a knife and fingers wet with juice. Holding his gaze, Felix pulled the knife toward his mouth, running his tongue against it. After that was clean, Felix took Sylvain’s fingers in his mouth, the taste of his skin tempering the cloying sweetness of the fruit. “You didn’t leave any for yourself.”

Pressing his thumb against his bottom lip, Sylvain smiled, gaze dark. “I had my fill just watching you enjoy it.”

That wouldn’t do. Felix leaned in. “There’s still some left here,” he whispered, brushing his lips against his. He opened his mouth to let Sylvain in, moaning around his clever tongue. Their breakfast finished, he let Sylvain pull him into his lap, wrapping his arms around his neck as Sylvain sucked on his lip. “Is it good?”

“Very sweet.” Sylvain’s teeth worried at his lip. “Your mouth is going to swell if I keep this up.”

“I don’t care,” Felix said, feeling magnanimous. Sylvain chuckled, releasing a shuddering breath before pressing a light kiss against his lips and pulling away.

“Can’t have you injured before we even start,” he said regretfully. “Shall we go take a bath?”

Once again, Sylvain escaped Felix’s grasp, unceremoniously dumping Felix on the bed as he climbed out of bed, disappearing into the bathroom. Huffing, Felix laid on the bed, his knees weak from Sylvain’s heated kisses, taking a few moments to catch his breath before he dragged himself out of bed to follow.

The tub was already filled with steaming water as Sylvain pondered over the vials of oil for the bath; Felix busied himself with shedding the rest of his clothes and rinsing off. By the time he turned toward the tub, Sylvain was already settled in and waiting for him.

“It’s been a while since we’ve shared a bath,” Sylvain sighed, already relaxing as Felix sunk in the water, facing him, the scent of lavender wafting around them. Their baths rarely fulfilled its intended purpose; usually they would soak in the water as they chatted — or didn’t — until someone’s hands or mouth started getting adventurous.

Today would be different, Felix decided. Their knees knocked together as Felix arranged them into a more comfortable position for what he wanted to do, water sloshing about. Sitting on Sylvain’s thighs, Felix reached for the bath oil, pouring a little on his hands. “Don’t get too excited,” he said when Sylvain shifted underneath him.

Sitting up on his knees, he rubbed Sylvain’s shoulders, digging his fingers into the knots. Sylvain slid a little lower into the water, sighing; Felix felt something bump against his thigh, casting Sylvain a look. Sylvain pouted.

“How else am I supposed to react when you’re seducing me?” Sylvain mumbled.

“I’m just being considerate.”

The tub emitted a hollow thunk as Sylvain tipped his head back, his eyes falling closed as Felix worked at a particularly stubborn knot. “Well, I hope you’re not being considerate toward anyone else.”

Felix ignored him, massaging down his arms. It really wasn’t seduction — it wasn’t much different from the massages he would do after training to relieve his own sore muscles. Sylvain wasn’t as limber as he was, certainly didn’t keep up with training the way Felix still did. He worked down to Sylvain’s hands, threading their fingers together before tugging hard.

“Ow,” Sylvain said as his knuckles popped, then sighed with relief.

Quirking a grin, Felix shook out Sylvain’s arms before moving his hands back up to his neck, pressing his thumbs against Sylvain’s jaw. Sylvain groaned as Felix massaged his scalp, his thumbs moving up along the sides of his face, rubbing small circles up to his temples. “Stop making such erotic noises,” Felix said flatly as Sylvain continued to moan indecently, surely on purpose.

“Stop doing erotic things to me,” Sylvain mumbled before he blinked. “I mean, don’t stop —”

“I won’t.” Felix pressed his fingers down against the back of his head, earning himself a long drawn-out sigh. Sylvain looked good like this, relaxed and pliant in his hands, his face fixed in an expression of euphoria. Felix ran his thumbs under Sylvain’s eyes, the shadows of his eyelashes hiding the faint dark circles that were beginning to form. “You need more sleep, Sylvain.”

Sylvain hummed, his eyes still closed. “I promise I’m doing my best to stay handsome for you.”

Felix glared, even though Sylvain couldn’t see. “If you’re tired, you should rest. I’ll have to speak to Dimitri about overworking you.”

Sylvain cracked an eye open to look at him, lips curling up at the corner. “I appreciate you coming to my defense.” He leaned forward, kissing him tenderly. “But I’m feeling quite refreshed now.”

Felix let it pass for now, taking a washcloth to wipe down the oil. Sylvain moved to return the favor, but Felix caught his hand, pointedly placing it down on the rim of his tub. Their eyes meeting, Felix sunk his hand into the water, reaching between Sylvain’s legs. Sylvain couldn’t run away this time. “Let me,” he said softly, wrapping his fingers around him.

“Mmm.” The water stirred as Felix’s arm moved under the water, as Sylvain’s hips twitched when Felix circled the tip with his finger. “Feels nice.”

With his free hand, he stroked Sylvain’s cheek, his chest, thumbing his nipple as Sylvain’s breath hitched. Felix liked to watch Sylvain like this, liked to see him responding to his touch. Sylvain must have been quite pent-up too, seeming to surprise even himself when he suddenly came with a grunt, a sheepish look on his face. “Been a while, has it?” Felix quipped.

Sylvain made a vague noise, still thrusting in the loose circle of Felix’s fingers. Once spent, he ran a hand through his damp hair with a sigh, pushing it off his forehead, the flush of his cheeks brightening. “Why is it that we always end up coming out of a bath messier than we were coming in?” Sylvain drawled, grinning when Felix snorted.

The bath having lost its use, they climbed out and settled for a more efficient, relatively tame shower, wiping themselves dry before returning to the bedroom. Felix intended to retrieve a fresh set of clothes, merely out of habit, though he should’ve expected to be pulled into bed.

“If you stop again this time, I’m going to kill you,” Felix warned as Sylvain wrestled his way on top of him.

“No more interruptions,” Sylvain promised, brushing away the stray strands of wet hair clinging to Felix’s cheek. “Now I can properly savor you.”

Once settled in, Sylvain leaned down to capture Felix’s lips in a deep, languid kiss before he began to move down, drawing a path of kisses down his neck, his shoulders. Felix buried one hand in Sylvain’s hair, gripping the sheets with the other, sighing; Sylvain kissed him like every inch of his skin was meant for worship, like every scar was still a wound that needed soothing. Felix moaned shakily as Sylvain sucked on his nipple, his tongue circling the nub.

“You’re still so sensitive here,” Sylvain murmured, blowing air on his damp, reddened nipple. “Or maybe it’s just been too long since it’s gotten any attention.”

Felix curled his fingers in Sylvain’s hair. “Don’t stop.”

Sylvain obeyed, teasing the nipple with his fingertip, moving his mouth to the other. “Do you think you can come like this, Felix?”

Felix shivered with anticipation. He was already painfully hard, his toes curling each time Sylvain’s tongue flicked against him. “We’ll see if you’re up to the task,” he said lowly, challenging him.

Sylvain set his mind to it, using his tongue and teeth and fingers until Felix didn’t know how much time had passed, until he was shaking, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, his moans turning to helpless whines. Felix finally managed to get a full gulp of air when Sylvain pulled away to admire his work. His nipples were ringed red, stinging; Felix whimpered when Sylvain rubbed his thumb against the abused nipple, a scratchy moan falling from his lips when Sylvain leaned down to gently kiss it.

“Sylvain,” Felix breathed, chest heaving. He was so close to coming, precome dribbling down his cock.

“Not yet,” Sylvain decided, a smile playing on his lips. He continued downward, kissing down Felix’s abdomen, his tongue dipping into his belly button, moving down his navel. Felix cried out at the swipe of Sylvain’s tongue against the tip of his cock, his heels digging into the bed as his hips stuttered. “Not yet,” Sylvain repeated, pushing Felix’s legs up, his hands gripping him firmly by his thighs. Felix fisted his hands in the sheets as Sylvain mouthed at his balls, as he drew lower.

“Ah — Syl—vain,” Felix groaned, nearly sobbing as Sylvain lapped at his hole. “Don’t tease —”

Felix was bent nearly in half, his hips lifting off the bed, his legs waving in the air. He was beyond reason, beyond embarrassment as Sylvain kissed and sucked on his hole, his tongue working past the tight ring of muscle. It was obscene, but it felt so good, the pressure in his belly so intense Felix didn’t know what else to do but beg.

“ _Please_ ,” he gasped, drool trickling from his mouth as he moaned unceasingly. “I need to come —”

Sylvain moaned inside him, his tongue sinking as deep as it could go, and Felix came so hard his head spun, his body going rigid as he came, his come hitting his chin. Sylvain eased him back down on the bed and Felix felt like he was melting into it, his legs twitching as he rode out his orgasm, Sylvain still licking at him. Being on edge for so long, having all of that tension released at once left him exhausted, hardly able to move.

“Beautiful,” he heard Sylvain whisper as he kissed up his chest, cleaning him. “You did so well.”

Felix could only moan in response as he passed out to the feeling of Sylvain’s lips against his cheek.

-

“Did you enjoy your nap?”

Returning to consciousness, Felix slowly opened his eyes, seeing nothing but the wrinkled cover of his pillow. He was on his stomach, his knees tucked underneath him. A low moan fell from his lips as he felt the slow, hard drag of Sylvain’s cock inside him. Still dazed from his last orgasm, he wondered if Sylvain had even fingered him open or if it was just his spit and come easing the way. It didn’t matter, he thought drowsily as he closed his eyes and nuzzled his pillow, clenching with a sigh. It felt amazing. “You couldn’t wake me up first?” He mumbled.

“You were making such cute noises I thought you were already enjoying it,” Sylvain answered softly. Felix felt a nibble on his ear. “You can sleep some more if you’d like.”

Felix hummed as he did just that, nodding off as Sylvain thrust gently into him. He kept his body loose and slack, his knees sliding out from under him every now and then; Sylvainhad his hands on his hips, keeping him up and in place, every jolt of pleasure tempting Felix back to wakefulness.

“For such a light sleeper, you take being fucked very well.” Felix exhaled shakily as Sylvain sunk deep inside him, as he let out a low, luxurious moan. “I like to think it’s because your body knows mine,” Sylvain mused before he pulled Felix up onto his knees, seating him in his lap, Felix’s back falling against his chest.

“Sylvain,” Felix whined sleepily as Sylvain held him down on his cock, keeping him from moving.

“I know you’ve missed this, Felix,” Sylvain whispered as he began to grind his cock inside him. “I’ll make sure it fills you up plenty.”

Felix couldn’t hold back his voice, moaning as Sylvain rolled his hips slowly, pleasure running up his spine. Sylvain knew exactly how to make love to him.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been able to have you like this,” Sylvain said with a sigh, kissing his neck.

Felix remembered very well, a year ago when he had gone to Gautier and ended up staying for a week, his departure delayed by one of the coldest blizzards the region had seen in years. Just like this, Sylvain had kept Felix in bed; the memory of it still warmed him — how good it felt to be wrapped up in each other without worrying about anything else, how nice it was to spend time together alone. Being with Sylvain had taught him many things, like the comfort that came from being touched by someone he trusted, the value of patience. At the sound of Felix’s whine, Sylvain curled his hand around his leaking cock, pumping, but Felix stopped him with his own, slowing his movements. “Not yet,” he breathed.

“No?” Sylvain asked faintly as Felix moved his hand for him, pushing it down to cup his balls.

Felix turned his head to brush his lips against Sylvain’s, panting against his cheek. “You want it slow, don’t you?”

Sylvain’s eyes widened, his hips jerking. “Oh — Felix —”

Felix leaned his head back against Sylvain’s shoulder, clenching. “Ah — deeper —”

A low groan escaped Sylvain’s lips, his hands grasping Felix’s hips to press him down harder on his cock, his balls right up against his ass. Felix gasped into the air, back arching as he clenched, Sylvain’s cock rubbing against him in all the right spots. “Like this?”

“Yes — ah, yes,” Felix chanted. He entwined their fingers together, holding their hands against his hips, turning to meet Sylvain’s gaze. “I want you to stay just like this, Sylvain.”

Sylvain groaned; Felix felt even fuller. “I can’t —”

Still, Sylvain tried to give Felix what he wanted, keeping his hard cock inside him, keeping him right up against the edge as Felix tightened around him, relishing his groans. Felix smiled; Sylvain was so good to him. “Go on then,” Felix finally whispered mercifully when Sylvain’s thighs began to shake. “I’ve been waiting all morning.”

At that, Sylvain groaned harshly into his neck, pulling out and thrusting hard into Felix’s ass; Felix moaned like it was punched out of him, shuddering as Sylvain came inside him, as he followed, honeyed heat spreading throughout his body. His cheek dragged across their soft sheets as Sylvain shoved him down on the bed, fucking his clenching hole through his own orgasm. His satisfied moan muffled against the bed, Felix slumped down when Sylvain finally pulled out.

“You’ve become quite cunning in my absence,” Sylvain panted as he collapsed on top of him, his softened cock rubbing against his messy hole.

Felix grinned. “I learned all of my tricks from you.”

Sylvain moved off of him, if only so that he could roll Felix onto his back to kiss him. “You can trick me however you’d like,” he said, his fingers running through his sweat-damp hair before he kissed him again. Felix sighed, content as he ran his fingertips lightly along Sylvain’s spine; he had missed this — not just the sex, but the easy intimacy between them, the slow thorough kisses that made his heart skip like it was the first time.

Breathless, they broke apart, Sylvain lying down beside him. “Hungry?” Sylvain asked, patting Felix’s stomach. Felix nodded; Sylvain climbed off the bed. “Lunch came while you were sleeping. It should still be warm.”

Watching Sylvain dig out some clothes, Felix caught the shirt Sylvain tossed him. “And you didn’t wake me up for that either.”

“I was a little distracted,” Sylvain said lightly, tossing him a smirk as he pulled on his pants. Felix pulled on the shirt — Sylvain’s, long enough to brush against his thighs — and waited for the food. Setting down a new tray, Sylvain lifted the lid with a flourish, setting it aside as Felix gazed at their lunch — a platter of grilled vegetables and meat on skewers, a steaming bowl of fish stew, and a golden gratin.

“One of your favorites,” Sylvain commented as Felix salivated over the gratin, the unique sharp scent of Gautier cheese stirring up his already ravenous appetite.

Felix waited for Sylvain to settle on the bed, ladling a bowl of stew for him before he dug into the gratin, the bite melting in his mouth. He hadn’t had this since they were students at the monastery. Sylvain wasn’t very fond of it, citing the fact that he had too much of it as a child; he must have asked the cooks to make it for him. “You didn’t have to go through the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble if it makes you happy,” Sylvain said easily. Felix, never knowing what to say when Sylvain said things like that, could only flush and continue to eat, making sure to clean his plate.

After lunch, drowsiness rapidly set in. Well-fucked and well-fed, Felix yawned, his body and eyelids growing heavy. Sylvain appeared to be suffering the same fate, echoing his yawn with one of his own. Once the bed was cleared off, Sylvain crawled under the blanket, holding it open.

“We don’t want to tire ourselves out too early,” Sylvain said, eyes already half-lidded. Then he added with a grin, “I promise I’ll let you sleep this time.”

Too tired to quip, Felix went to him, lying down and letting Sylvain pull him closer, Sylvain’s hand resting on his bare hip. They were both too exhausted for any more mischief; Sylvain’s thumb stroked his hip, moving slower by the second, lulling Felix to sleep.

-

This time, Felix woke first. Their room had turned cold, the smell of food lingering heavy in the air. Felix rubbed his eyes and turned to look at the clock, Sylvain nuzzling his neck as he did; it was already approaching the late afternoon.

“Go back to sleep,” Sylvain mumbled groggily, trying to pull Felix back in as Felix extracted himself from his arms. Strategically replacing himself with a pillow, Felix climbed out of bed, shivering a little, careful to keep Sylvain covered under the blanket.

Walking over to pull open the curtains, Felix pushed the window open to clear out the air, letting in the cool breeze. It looked like it had snowed a few inches while they were asleep. The crisp winter air felt sharp as he breathed it in. Yawning away the last of his sleepiness, he glanced back at Sylvain, who had fallen straight back to sleep with the pillow clutched tightly in his arms. Taking the opportunity, Felix tamed his messy hair into a bun and pulled on a pair of pants before slipping out of the bedroom, heading downstairs.

The manor was quiet — Sylvain must have given most of the servants the day off. Unlike his own manor, the Gautier manor was more lived-in, as most of the servants, hired from the nearby towns after Sylvain’s father took most of them with him when he retired south, were permitted to reside in the extra rooms. The manor itself had been redecorated — the old portraits of past Gautiers had been taken down and stored in his father’s old room along with the Lance of Ruin, replaced with Sylvain’s favorite paintings. The Gautier family portrait that once hung above the mantle of the main room had been taken down as well, moved to Sylvain’s study; in its place now was, embarrassingly, a portrait of the two of them, which Felix had agreed to sit for after many of Sylvain’s persistent pleas.

Felix paused in front of the painting. It was admittedly well-done; he had chided Sylvain about it, but he secretly liked how the artist had captured Sylvain’s faint smile, how Sylvain’s gaze was directed toward him rather than the audience. In front of the painting, mounted on the mantle were his swords from the war, given to Sylvain as a gesture of his commitment to him. He scratched his warming cheek; in hindsight, it was a rather dramatic declaration, though Sylvain had clearly appreciated it enough to display them so proudly.

Returning his attention to the task he had set his mind to, he made his way to the kitchen, putting on the kettle before locating the cabinet where the teas were kept; he knelt in front of it and picked through the tins, opening and sniffing them, though he wasn’t quite sure what to look for.

He heard footsteps behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the head maid. “Your Grace,” she greeted with a bow. “May I assist you?”

“I’m just looking for some tea,” Felix said, coming across the bergamot. “Do you know what tea would be good for fatigue?”

“Losing energy?” She said slyly, laughing when Felix flushed upon realizing how his words could be taken. “Oh, don’t be shy. Lovebirds need a day to themselves every now and then.”

“It’s not —” Felix sighed, deciding it would be easier not to protest. She was always teasing him and Sylvain; she, along with the head butler, had known them since they were young. “Sylvain seems tired lately. I’m concerned he’s been overworking himself. I thought some tea might help.”

“Oh, how sweet,” she cooed, Felix’s flush deepening. She knelt down beside him, contemplating the selection. “Well, there’s a few teas that can help with that…”

After careful consideration, they found a suitable blend. At his insistence, Felix carried the tea up himself, thanking the head maid for her help before he returned to the bedroom. Felix rounded the bed to set the tray on his nightstand, seeing that the substitute pillow had been discarded, Sylvain’s head peeking out from under the blanket as he watched him. “You left me,” Sylvain lamented.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Felix said as he poured a cup, holding it out to Sylvain. Sylvain sat up, his hair sticking up on one side, taking it and giving it a cursory sniff. “It’s bergamot, lemon balm, ginger. A little bit of honey.”

“You didn’t sneak an aphrodisiac in here too, did you?” Sylvain teased as he took a sip, smiling when Felix shot him a look. “Not that I need one.”

“Rest assured. I expect you to put in the work yourself,” Felix replied. Sylvain laughed.

Felix slipped back under the blankets with his tea. It was a pleasant blend, refreshing yet warming. Sylvain seemed to enjoy it as well, draining his cup; Felix poured him another and they settled into a comfortable silence, enjoying their tea. It wasn’t often that they got the chance to sit like this together. He glanced at Sylvain. In the afternoon light, Sylvain looked to be at peace, a quiet smile on his lips as he sipped his tea. Felix was pleased; the tea must have been working.

“Thank you,” Sylvain said when he was done, Felix taking his empty cup. He leaned back against the headboard; Felix took the opportunity to tuck himself against his side. Sylvain was still warm from sleep. “You’re very affectionate today.”

Felix glanced at him. “Am I not allowed to be?”

“I welcome it,” Sylvain said, winding an arm around Felix’s waist. “It’s not often that I get to be so pampered.”

Felix scowled. “You say that like I mistreat you.”

Sylvain laughed. “You’re kind to me in the ways that matter,” he said diplomatically.

Affection didn’t come easily to Felix. It was mostly instinctual, based in his own desire, the way he would touch Sylvain — he did what was comfortable, what he liked. Felix sat up, meeting Sylvain’s questioning gaze. “Do you want me to blow you?”

Sylvain looked like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to laugh. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you needed to be nice to me right now.”

Felix glared. “I’m not offering just to be nice,” he said, reaching for Sylvain’s pants. Sylvain helped Felix wiggle them off, his legs obediently falling open as Felix settled in between them. Felix took him in his hand, filling him out with a few licks; he would have done this in the morning, but he knew a significant part of Sylvain’s enjoyment came from watching him. Looking up to meet his gaze, Felix tongued the head, sucking a kiss on the tip.

“Mm, Felix,” Sylvain breathed, sliding further down the bed as his hips stuttered. Felix smirked as he licked a slow stripe up the length of him, Sylvain’s thighs tensing under his palms. It had taken some time for Felix to learn what Sylvain liked, a little more to realize he liked what Sylvain liked, liked to see him enjoying what he did to him. Felix held his gaze as he leaned in, taking the tip in his mouth, his tongue swirling around the head once, twice, before he pulled off. Sylvain’s gaze was glued to the string of saliva clinging to his tongue as he groaned in the back of his throat. “I can’t tell if this is a reward or punishment.”

“Could be both,” Felix murmured as Sylvain’s fingertips brushed against his cheek before his hand buried in his hair. Hooking an arm under Sylvain’s knee, Felix hiked his leg up onto his shoulder, pressing his palm flat on Sylvain’s stomach before he kissed along his inner thigh. “You made me wait a long time this morning.”

“You were just —” Sylvain whined, twitching when Felix bit down and sucked a hickey on his thigh. “—too cute.”

Felix hummed, fingers curling as he gently scratched Sylvain’s belly. Sylvain could be quite submissive at times, happy to let Felix take the lead. This late in the day, Felix was free to enjoy him, moving at his own pace as Sylvain moaned above him, Sylvain’s hand gentle on the back of his head. He pulled off with a pop to rest his jaw, letting Sylvain run his thumb across his wet, swollen lip before he leaned back in. “You can move too, if you want.”

Sylvain shifted to roll his hips minutely, trying to meet Felix’s rhythm until he couldn’t resist anymore, panting as he began to thrust. Felix leaned up a little to let him fuck his mouth, shivering violently as Sylvain’s grip on his hair tightened, his own hips pressing down hard into the bed. “I’m — coming —”

Felix took in as much as he could. There was a choked groan and a thump against the headboard as Sylvain came, filling Felix’s mouth. Pulling off when Sylvain began to soften, Felix leaned back, licking his lips, quite proud of the flushed, sweaty mess he had made of his husband.

“Let me do you too,” Sylvain panted, sliding down to lay flat on the bed, his hands reaching for him. Despite the tempting offer, Felix shook his head, letting Sylvain pull him in for a kiss, squirming when Sylvain reached into his pants and palmed his cock, soft and sticky, having already come earlier. “Oh.”

“I told you I wasn’t just being nice,” Felix mumbled as Sylvain kissed him again, looking as though he was valiantly trying to get hard again. “Quit moving.”

Felix laid down on top of him, resting his cheek on Sylvain’s chest. Sylvain’s heart thumped against his ear, slowing to its usual steady, comforting beat. Felix sighed as Sylvain wrapped his arms around him, closing his eyes, considering another nap.

Sylvain drew circles on his hip. “All this lazing about must be making you restless.’

While it was true that Felix wasn’t one for idleness, they’d hardly been idle today. “I don’t mind staying in every now and then.”

“Let’s stretch our legs a bit.” Sylvain grinned when Felix looked up at him, put out by the idea. “I think it’d be good. I’m going to forget how to walk at this rate.”

With a decisive pat, Sylvain got them both up; sure enough, his legs wobbled as he stood. After a brief clean-up, they put on fresh clothes, pulling on their cloaks and boots before they left the room together for the first time today. The guards jumped to attention as they left the manor for the courtyard. “In their defense, I don’t think they were expecting to see us at all today,” Sylvain said when Felix cast them a critical look. Felix flushed.

The sky was a mix of oranges and purples and blues, the sun a hazy yellow smudge hidden behind the swirling pink clouds on the horizon, its golden rays filtering through the tall evergreens. Once they were far enough out of sight, Felix hooked his arm onto Sylvain’s, Sylvain’s other hand resting on top of his as they walked, their footsteps crunching on the thin layer of snow coating the ground.

“You never let me hold your hand like this. Not even at official functions,” Sylvain said with a dramatic sniff.

“It’s cold. And no one’s around.”

He leaned his head against Sylvain’s shoulder as they walked. While Sylvain admired the garden, Felix touched the ring on Sylvain’s finger. It was a simple silver band; despite its plainness, it was a family heirloom — it was the ring Felix’s father had made for his mother, who preferred practicality over extravagance. Felix turned it round and round on Sylvain’s finger, watching it glint each time it caught the light.

Sylvain stopped as they came across a stone bench, brushing off the snow before he sat them down. “Something’s on your mind,” Sylvain stated.

“Nothing more than usual,” Felix said, not looking at him. Sylvain’s hand touched his chin, lifting it to meet his gaze.

“Tell me anyway,” Sylvain requested.

It annoyed Felix how he could never seem to keep anything from Sylvain. As much as people liked to call him emotionless, Sylvain always seemed to know his moods, even managing to guess the reasons behind them half the time. No, it didn’t annoy him, Felix thought as Sylvain’s brow furrowed in concern at his silence. He just wished he was able to do the same for Sylvain.

“I worry,” Felix said quietly, “that I’m not a good husband to you.”

It felt strange to admit an insecurity, even to Sylvain. Felix had worked hard to become someone reliable, strong enough to protect the people he cared about. He hated to see them suffer, when he didn’t know what he could do, if there was anything he _could_ do.

Sylvain’s hand was warm on his cheek. “What brought this about?” He asked softly. “Is this why you’ve been so cute and spoiled all day?”

Felix flushed, annoyed that Sylvain had so easily seen through his intentions. “I just wanted you to be able to relax,” he mumbled. “You’re tired, but you still overworked yourself to spend time with me.”

“Time with you is precious these days,” Sylvain pointed out. “I wanted to spend time with you too so I tried to get everything done as fast as I could.”

“I could have helped,” Felix said. “Seeing you struggle on your own doesn’t make me feel better, especially if you say it’s for my sake.”

Sylvain blinked, frowning. “It wasn’t my intention to make you worry.” He let out a soft laugh. “Though it seems I always do anyway.”

“And you always will.” Felix sighed. “You should depend on me every now and then.”

Sylvain touched his ring too, the amber stone glowing in the sunsetting light. “I didn’t want to trouble you with my problems.”

“Isn’t that the point of being married?” Felix asked. ‘To share our burdens?”

Sylvain was quiet for a few moments. Then he sighed, resting his forehead against Felix’s. “I _am_ very tired,” Sylvain finally confessed, laughing like it was ridiculous. “It feels a bit foolish to complain about something that can’t be helped.”

“It’s not foolish,” Felix insisted. “You’ve been busy.”

“Between my duties as margrave, as an advisor, it’s a lot of work,” Sylvain conceded. “All these meetings with people across Fódlan, trying to convince them to change for the better, trying to please them, trying to talk sense into them — sometimes the things we want to achieve feel so distant, impossible to reach.”

“I know that feeling.”

“All of that, along with the long days of travel, the nights spent trying to catch up on work, drafting new plans, was bearable.” Sylvain met his gaze. “But the hardest thing has been being away from you for so long.”

Felix lifted his hands to cup Sylvain’s cold cheeks. Love really had made fools of them. “I get lonely too,” Felix said. “So I don’t want you to keep these things from me. I don’t want you to be even further away than we already have to be.”

Sylvain offered up a small smile before he sighed. “It seems like if anyone’s the bad husband, it’s me.”

Felix glared, Sylvain wincing and whining as Felix pinched his cheeks. “I love you,” he murmured, soothing the ache with a kiss. “I’m never going to regret marrying you, no matter how infuriating you get. I trust you to take care of me. So trust me to do the same.”

Immediately growing embarrassed at his admission, Felix pursed his lips, forcing himself not to turn away. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to it, the way Sylvain looked at him like he was one of the best things that ever happened to him. He wanted to be worthy of that admiration. Sylvain smiled, a fragile thing, pulling him into his arms. “I love you too,” he whispered in his ear. “Believe me when I say that just being with you has made me feel much better.”

Felix nuzzled Sylvain’s warm neck, sighing. “Let’s go back,” he said. “There’s still time left for us in the day.”

The sky turning dark, they returned to the manor, hand in hand, the guards pointedly keeping their eyes up as they passed. Once back in their room, Sylvain helped Felix unclasp his cloak, his fingers brushing against his hair.

“I’m going to have a quick bath.” Felix poked his finger against Sylvain’s chest. “You’re not allowed to come with me.”

“Stingy,” Sylvain muttered, but obeyed, ducking in to steal a kiss before he let Felix go.

Felix gave himself a good wash, sorting out the tangles in his hair from sleeping and rolling about with it damp, listening to Sylvain move around in the bedroom. As he wiped himself down, he looked at himself in the mirror, the red marks Sylvain had left on his body, smiling faintly.

The fire was crackling when Felix emerged, their room tidied of the trays and their soiled clothes, their blankets and sheets changed. “Dinner should be ready soon,” Sylvain said, sitting in front of the fireplace as he warmed himself up. “It might be better to take it downstairs, if you’re up for…”

Sylvain trailed off as Felix slid into his lap, bare, his arms looping around his neck. “Let’s go to bed.”

Sylvain’s eyes were bright in the firelight. “We’ll need to eat,” he said, his hand trailing down his back.

“You have me,” Felix said. “I have you.”

Sylvain smiled, carrying him to the bed. Despite all the years they had known each other, there were still new things to learn about each other, things to unlearn about themselves, like this: there was a time when Felix thought he could be alone, could go on without Sylvain’s warmth, but he couldn’t go back to that kind of solitude now that he knew what it was like to be cherished.

“My love,” Sylvain whispered as he pressed him down on the bed, as Felix undressed him and pulled him down to kiss him. “My heart.”

The knock on the door went ignored, but the cold roast and wine was still quite satisfying in the middle of the night when Felix finally made it out of bed to bring it into the room.

-

The wind howled outside the next morning, rattling the windows. Outside, nothing could be seen for miles, the sky stark white.

“Another blizzard,” Sylvain mumbled into Felix’s disheveled hair, his foot rubbing against his ankle. “Looks like we’ll have to stay in today too.”

Felix didn’t even bother to look as he burrowed deeper into Sylvain’s embrace, warm and content.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
